1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the field of clips, and more particularly to lightweight, inexpensive one-piece clamp-type clips.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is often desirable to-hold two or more objects together for a period of time and then take them apart. Such situations range from hanging clothes on a line, and hanging ornaments on a tree to keeping keys on a chain and clipping papers together. Clothes pins, ornament hooks, key chains and paper clips commonly used for these jobs are sometimes useful for other hanging or clipping applications. However, one piece clothes pins and hooks often do not provide secure placement of an article and are not versatile as they cannot grip articles. Chains will not hold a desired shape and paper clips often come loose.
Clamp-type clips are more secure than the above-mentioned types of clips. However, clamp-type clips are generally constructed of at least three pieces. Such clips have two sides or arms connected by a spring which exerts a force on the two arms causing the two arms to tend to come together at one end. Clamp-type clips require either pivotal connections to be molded on them or require a pin pivotally connecting them. Such multi-piece clips are relatively expensive to manufacture.
A one-piece clip which opens and closes like a clamp-type clip would be generally less expensive to manufacture than a three piece clamp-type clip. However, the art has not developed a one-piece clamp-type clip which will fully close after being opened. Many plastics are resilient. Yet, a certain amount of semi-permanent deformation will eventually occur with repetitive use of most materials including plastics. Because of this deformation, should one mold prior art clamp-type clips as one piece of plastic, the closure portions of the clip will fail to completely contact. Thus, there is a need for a one piece clip made from a sufficiently resilient material that is molded and configured so that the closure portions of the clip will return to a contacting closed position and provide sufficient clamping.
Many methods are known for mounting lightweight signs, ornaments, lighting and light bulbs (such as Christmas lighting) to a home or to a Christmas tree. Adhesive tape has been one such method used. However, tape can become ineffective as moisture tends to reduce the effectiveness of the tape's adhesive. Furthermore, some of the adhesive may remain on the surface after removal of the tape. In any event, adhesive tapes are non-reuseable. More permanent methods of hanging Christmas lighting and other ornaments involve affixing hooks into the structure of the house. Such hooks require the drilling or screwing of anchors or screw-like portions of the hooks into the structure. Therefore, these hooks must either be left in place permanently or be removed leaving permanent and unsightly holes in the structure surrounding the windows. Hooks for hanging Christmas ornaments and lighting to Christmas trees suffer the drawbacks described above for clips.